Draft-gear.



R. i.. VICINTOSH L R. G. TAYLOR.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLfcATloN FILED JULY 10. 191s,

Patent-ed Oct. 16, 1917.

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ROBERT L. Meiivrosi-i, or wiLi/inrrn, AND kRALPH GEO. TAYLOR, orCHICAGO, l

' ILLINOIS. l, y

.i DRAFT-GEAR.

Laiaoss.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

ratenteaoct. 1e, 1917.

` Application led J'uly 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,310.

plicity of the Vstructurezand Vits effectiveness in operation. d

In its preferred embodiment the invention comprises a hollowV casingorhousing bearing against one set of the draft-sill stops or abutmentsand coacting with the Yinner surfaces of the opposite side-walls of suchmember are a pairv of beveled pressure-blocks which, during theirsliding vtravel on the housing, are pressed thereagainst by the ac-htion Aof a pair of wedges cooperating through a follower'withy the otherset of draft-sill stops and'fo'rce'd outwardly as they move relativelyto the housing by an `interposed beveled post or spreader, desirably,but not necessarily, integral with the housing. The

inner ends of the pressure-blocks are main-.

tained in adequate frictional engagement with the housing walls'duringtheir travel and their inward movement is resisted by one or moresprings arranged longitudinally of the casing, bearing at one end.against the latter and pressing at the other-end against a cap-memberwhose beveled faces engage the correspondingly-shaped surfaces of thepressure-blocks.

It-will be appreciated, therefore, that one of the salient objects ofthe invention is the provision of a simple device which will force thevblocks outwardly in opposite directions against the housing, at thesame time permitting them to slide thereon. A further feature of theinvention is the production of a variable or dierential travel of thevarious elements to Aproduce the required friction'. Y

In order that those skilled in theV art may have a Yclearunderstandingof the structural and functional advantages of a draft-gearappliance embodying this invention, a desirableconstruction.incorporating the invention has been illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part-of this specification andthroughout the 4various views of which like, reference characters refertothe saine parts.

'In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the draft-gear; y

Fig. 2 is a similar view,par.ts being shown in plan and with the gearpartlylcompressed; anc

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,with the coupler-shank Vand'its yoke omitted.

-'Ihe .appliance includes the usual draftsills 10,`1'0, and the opposedystops 11, 11, and 12,12. A follower 13 co-acts with stops orabutments'12, 12, and the shanlrlfl of the coupler, the .yoke 15 of thelatter being looped around a housing or casing characterized as a. wholeas 16but composed of two parts, or sections 17 and 18, of which thelrearmost one, 18,` cooperates withy the stops 11, 11, and with the yoke.This part or section 18is cylindrical in form, its interioraccommodating theL rear portions' of the nested compression springs 19and' 20' which bear at their ends against the terminal wall 21 of thepart 18 with which wall the yoke also co-acts. end .has oppositelyextended` transverse wings 22 and 23, .the former functioning with thestopsll and 11,.the latter affording convenient. means f forxattachinentto the front .shell` or housing 17. In order to strengthen this rear,hollow casting, it is Externally, the.shell 1S at each equipped.with-longitudinal ribs 24.- connect"' ing and'bracing the wings 22 and23.

The forward part of shellk 17 is rectangularin vertical cross-sectionand has a iiat bottom-wall or floor25, lvertical side-walls 26 and 27,and a top-wall 28. Its rear portion 29, however, is cylindrical incross-section matching the element "18, and its outwardly-extendedwings30 bearagainst andy are secured rigidly to the 'wings 23 by bolts 31.`Outstanding stiening and strengthening ribs33 connect wings 30 withoffsets or shoulders 32 of the casting.

-Cast' integral with the housing'17atthe` middle or center of its frontend, and eX-"' tending vbetween and connecting itsvtop and bottom walls,is a vertical-wedgeoi' beveledspreaderv34 having diverging walls 35 and86 co-acting with the inner diverging faces 37 and 38V of Atwo hollowwedge-blocks 39 and 40, preferably equilateral in horizontalcross-section, substantially equal in height` to the correspondingdimension of the space'in the housing, and supported and sliding on thefloor 25. The' front fiat faces 41 and 42 0f the wedge-blocks bear.against andare adapted to travel laterally on the rear surface offollower. 13.

The remaining faces 43"and 44 of these blocks coperatey withbeveledYsurfaces 45 of a pair of hollow pressure-blocks or members 46 and 47each having a planeface 48 pressing against and-adapted to slide on. theinner surface of the corresponding housing side-wall 26 or 27, as thecase may be. The floor ory bottom-wallof the housing or casing alsosupports these pressure-blocks, as will be seen from the drawings. Itwill be clear, therefore, that the wedges 39 and 40 are interposedbetween the central separator or.

wedge -34 and thetwo oppositely-disposed pressure-members 46 and 47.

rll`hese sliding`b1ocks46' and 47 are desir-l ably symmetrical in shape,among other reasons, toV prevent possibility Voffimproper. assembly withthe companion elements, that is to say,`each block has an inner beveledsurface 49, thetwoof which are` actedupon by the, opposite,similarly-beveled ends 5() and 51 of av spring-cap 52 of theY form inlcrosssection indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and against 'whichthe outer endsof the springs press. l

The operation Vof the appliance occurs practically ias follows:

Under buifing strains the coupler-shank 14 carries the follower 13inwardly away from the front stops 12, 12, the yoke also travelingrearwardly leaving the duplex or compound housing 16 in engagement withthe back-stops 11,v 11. As follower 13 moves inwardly thel pair of wedgeblocks 39 and 40 are forced in the same direction, and, by

reason y'of the presence of the stationary wedge or beveled spreader 34,they are, at the same time spready apart or separated, that is, they:travel outwardly laterally of the appliance in opposite directions,sliding on lthe, follower. Such compound motion of 'sure-blocks outagainst the housing walls.

It :should benoted that' shock-absorbing friction is. present Vbetweenthe wedges 39 and 4O and1the-follower. 13, between such `wereglges andthefixed beveled separator or lwedge 34, i

between t-he wedges and the pressure-blocks 46 and 47 and between thelatter andthe housing side-walls. The springs obviously loppose theinward travel of these parts and maintain the inner ends of thepressureblocks against moving inwardly away from the housing walls. Itshould be. observed,

furthermore, that the pressure-blocks and the spring-cap travel twice asrapidly and twice as far longitudinally of the structure as the wedgesdo becauseV of the 60o relation y between the surfaces of the.coperating elements or, stated differently.,there is a differentialmovement between'some of the fr-iction parts ofthe appliance, thussecuring the Y required shock-dissipating friction.

Vsy those Skilled mais are it WinI be appreciated that by employing acentralwedge fixed relatively to the housing or casing and by using theassociated wedges, a. suit-able lateral. pressure is obtained on. bothof the pressure-blocks, thus securing the neededV Y friction duringtheir sliding' action on the housing-walls. Y Y

lhen a pull instead of a Vbulfzis imposed on-'the coupler the follower13-remains `in move longitudinally of the appliance, but' merelyseparate, travelingv laterally. outwardly, sliding, las will be clear,on the face of the follower. -Tliis movement kis occasionedbytheenteringfactionof the wedge Y 34. between these two equilateral wedgesjvThe outward movement of the latter causes an inward axial movement ofthe pressureblocks, so that we have the housing traveling in Yonedirection and the pressure-blocks moving in the opposite direction,thusl obtaining the desired differential travel of the friction elementsofthe .appliance and securing the needed friction at the points :indif lcated. VThe .movement of theblocks 4.6 and 47 carries ,spring-cap 52inthe same direction Aso that under these circumstances the spring .19and 20'are compressed from both Vends. In the. twoinstanoescited therelative. movements of the 'friction elements` are substantially thesame, theparts functioning in practically the same manner under.' :bothconditions,

The housing or 4inclosing casing is made in .twoparts or sections asdescribed to permit .the 'introduction of the springs, after whichVinsertion the parts are bolted together.l

While we haveI herein presented p-ictorially and by description apreferred' and desirable embodiment of the invention, it ist@ beunderstood that the latter is not limited* and restricted .to theV:precise and exact details 4of structure, ybecausexthese may bemodifiedand changed in many -respects .without departure from the substance ofthe invention and without sacrificing any of its substantial benefitsand advantages.

Ve claim:

l. In a cushioning appliance of the char- Y acter described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, amember rigid with said housing, a pressure-block adapted to slide on awall of said housing, a spring in said housing opposing the travel ofsaid block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposed betweenand in sliding contact with said member and pressure-block,substantially as described.

2. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housingadapted to coperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with theopposed stop or stops, a member rigid with said housing, apressure-block adapted to slide on a wall of said housing, a spring insaid housing opposing the travel of said block relatively to saidhousing, and a wedge interposed between and in sliding contact with saidmember and pressure-block, and adapted to ycooperate with and traveltransversely of the appliance on said follower, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, abeveled member rigid with said housing, a beveled pressure-block adaptedto slide on a wall of said housing, a spring in said housing opposingthe travel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedgeinterposed between and in sliding contact with the beveled faces of saidmember and pressure-block, substantially as described.

4. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing,adapted to coperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with theopposed stop or stops, a beveled member rigid with said housing, abeveled pressureblock adapted to slide on the wall of said housing, aspring in and disposed longitudinally of said housing opposing thetravel of said block relatively to said housing, and a wedge interposedbetween and in sliding Copies of this patent may be contact with thebeveled faces of said mem*- ber and pressure-block, and adapted tocooperate with and travel transversely of the appliance on saidfollower, substantially as described.y

5. In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted forrailroad-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing, amember rigid with said housing, a pair of pressure-blocks adapted toslide on opposite interior walls of said housing, a spring in saidhousing opposing the travel of the pressure-blocks relatively to thehousing, and a pair of wedges interposed between and in sliding contactwith said member and said pressure-blocks, substantially as described. v

6. In a cushioning appliance of the char acter described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housing tocooperate with a stop or stops, a follower to co-act with the opposedstop or stops, a member rigid with said housing, a pair ofpressure-blocks adapted to slide on opposite walls of said housing, aspring in said housing opposing the travel of said pressure-blocksrelatively to said housing, and a pair of wedges interposed between andin sliding contact with said member and said pressure-blocks and adaptedto travel transversely of the appliance on said follower, substantiallyas described.

7 In a cushioning appliance of the character described adapted forrailway-car draft-gear and other uses, the combination of a housingadapted to cooperate with a stop or stops, a follower adapted to co-actwith the opposed stop or stops, an oppositely beveled member rigid withsaid housing, a pair of beveled pressure-blocks adapted to slide onopposite walls of said housing, a spring in and disposed longitudinallyof said housing opposing .the travel of said pressurelblocks relativelyto said housing, and a pair of wedges interposed between and in slidingcontact with the beveled faces of said member and pressure-blocks andadapted to coperate with and travel transversely of the appliance onsaid follower, substantially as described.

ROBERT L. MoINTOSI-I. RALPH GEO. TAYLOR.

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

